History MediaNotes / TheComicsCode

->''"Comics were investigated after a certain Doctor Fredric Wertham brought out a book called ''Seduction of the Innocent'' in 1954, calling for the introduction of a self-regulating body known as the Comic Code Authority, that had such ridiculous rules as, you could not use the word 'flick' in a comic for fear that the 'L' would run into the 'I' and ComicBook/SpiderMan would be saying, 'Look, he's got a fuck knife!'"'' [[note]] In America, flick knives are better known as switchblade knives. The specific alleged rule is actually [[http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/2009/07/23/comic-book-legends-revealed-217/ just an urban legend]]. Spider-Man didn't exist when the Code was created, though comics editors were by that time quite aware of TheProblemWithPenIsland.[[/note]]

There was nation wide public backlash against comics, including public comic burnings, and even some city councils such as Huston Texas, and Oklahoma City Oklahoma banning some horror comic series. In 1954, the U.S. comic book industry, trying to head off growing backlash and subsequent calls for government regulation, formed the Comics Magazine Association of America. The CMAA was initially led by major publishing houses Creator/ArchieComics (protected by an image of "wholesome American youth")[[note]]In fact, throughout the entire existence of the CMAA and the Comics Code Authority, it was run by Archie Comics' administration -- a blatant conflict of interest.[[/note]] and Creator/DCComics (which made a lot of money from kid-friendly romance and science fiction titles during this time period). The group subsequently set up the Comics Code Authority, or CCA, as a self-imposed censorship bureau; in hindsight, this move likely led to tighter censorship than was actually necessary to get their rules approved by the government.

In 1954, the U.S. comic book industry, trying to head off growing backlash and subsequent calls for government regulation, formed the Comics Magazine Association of America. The CMAA was initially led by major publishing houses Creator/ArchieComics (protected by an image of "wholesome American youth")[[note]]In fact, throughout the entire existence of the CMAA and the Comics Code Authority, it was run by Archie Comics' administration -- a blatant conflict of interest.[[/note]] and Creator/DCComics (which made a lot of money from kid-friendly romance and science fiction titles during this time period). The group subsequently set up the Comics Code Authority, or CCA, as a self-imposed censorship bureau; in hindsight, this move likely led to tighter censorship than was actually necessary to get their rules approved by the government.

This all was something of a wake-up call to the CCA: they had found out just how far they had fallen out of touch not only with the industry but with society in general. Thus they issued two major revisions to the Code, which either relaxed or dropped many of its more archaic rules. A revision in 1971, after "Green Goblin Reborn!" was published, tried to update the original Code without altering the basic structure. A second revision in 1989 combined notably fewer and looser restrictions with PoliticallyCorrect injunctions against stereotyping minority characters.

* One issue of ''Deadpool'' shows the eponymous merc-with-a-mouth in the upper left corner of the cover, giving a thumbs-up and a wink with the Comics Code's famous stamp displayed in his word balloon. This happened at a point when Marvel had decided to stop using the Code completely -- and done with a character that would have never received approval from the CCA when the Code was in full force.

* Even Archie Comics, a company that followed the Comics Code pretty well (given that it also maintained the Code), lampshaded it in one "Jughead's Diner" issue. Jughead and his friends are interrupted on occasion during the story by a representative from the CCA, who claims that what the other characters have done in the comic (e.g. talking about burgers in the presence of a cow, sumo wrestling, hang gliding) could not be shown. The representative then gets brutally injured by stepping into the middle of a sumo wrestling match.

* In ''Suicide Squad'' (2019) by Tom Taylor, a character's head exploding was censored by an image of a Comics Code Authority Stamp, this was done by the artist, Bruno Redondo.

By 2009, the only three comic book publishers who were still using the Code for their titles were DC, Archie Comics, and the final new company to adopt the Code, Creator/BongoComics (founded by Creator/MattGroening in 1993, and therefore dedicated primarily to publishing comic books featuring characters from ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' and ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}''). Bongo stopped using the Comics Code Seal on their titles in January 2010, and as a result of this, [[http://www.newsarama.com/comics/who-has-been-running-the-comics-code-authority-11012-22.html according to some sources]], the CMAA barely existed during its final year. Only one person was still working for the CMAA on a regular basis, and their only job would be to check the few books that DC was still submitting. Archie actually stopped submitting their titles to the CMAA the same year Bongo completely dropped the Code, but continued to publish them with the Code's seal of approval, as both companies involved simply assumed Archie's comics would always pass muster. [[HilariousInHindsight And hey, why wouldn't they?]] After all, it wasn't like they were ever going to star their iconic ''uber''-wholesome teenage cast in a [[ComicBook/AfterlifeWithArchie zombie horror spinoff]], or something, right?

By 2009, the only three comic book publishers who were still using the Code for their titles were DC, Archie Comics, and the final new company to adopt the Code, Creator/BongoComics (founded by Creator/MattGroening in 1993, and therefore dedicated primarily to publishing comic books featuring characters from ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' and ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}''). Bongo stopped using the Comics Code Seal on their titles in January 2010, and as a result of this, [[http://www.newsarama.com/comics/who-has-been-running-the-comics-code-authority-11012-22.html according to some sources]], the CMAA barely existed during its final year. One person would check the few books that DC was still submitting, and that was it. Archie actually stopped submitting their titles to the CMAA the same year Bongo completely dropped the Code, but continued to publish them with the Code's seal of approval, as both companies involved simply assumed Archie's comics would always pass muster. [[HilariousInHindsight And hey, why wouldn't they?]] After all, it wasn't like they were ever going to star their iconic ''uber''-wholesome teenage cast in a [[ComicBook/AfterlifeWithArchie zombie horror spinoff]], or something, right?

By 2009, the only three comic book publishers who were still using the Code for their titles were DC, Archie Comics, and the final new company to adopt the Code, Creator/BongoComics (founded by Creator/MattGroening in 1993, and dedicated primarily to publishing comic books featuring characters from ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' and ''WesternAnimation/Futurama''). Bongo stopped using the Comics Code Seal on their titles in January 2010, and as a result of this, [[http://www.newsarama.com/comics/who-has-been-running-the-comics-code-authority-11012-22.html some sources]], the CMAA barely existed during its final year. One person would check the few DC books that the company was still submitting to them, and that was it. Archie actually stopped submitting their titles to the CMAA the same year Bongo completely dropped the Code, but continued to publish them with the Code's seal of approval, as both companies involved simply assumed Archie's comics would always pass muster. [[HilariousInHindsight And hey, why wouldn't they?]] After all, it wasn't like they were ever going to star their iconic ''uber''-wholesome teenage cast in a [[ComicBook/AfterlifeWithArchie zombie horror spinoff]], or something, right?

By 2009, the only three comic book publishers who were still using the Code for their titles were DC, Archie Comics, and the final new company to adopt the Code, Creator/BongoComics (founded by Matt Groening in 1993, and dedicated primarily to publishing comic books featuring characters from ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' and ''WesternAnimation/Futurama''). Bongo stopped using the Comics Code Seal on their titles in January 2010, and as a result of this, [[http://www.newsarama.com/comics/who-has-been-running-the-comics-code-authority-11012-22.html some sources]], the CMAA barely existed during its final year. One person would check the few DC books that the company was still submitting to them, and that was it, because Archie actually stopped submitting their titles to the CMAA in 2008, as both companies involved simply assumed their comics would always pass muster. [[HilariousInHindsight And hey, why wouldn't they?]] After all, it wasn't like they were ever going to star their iconic ''uber''-wholesome teenage cast in a [[ComicBook/AfterlifeWithArchie zombie horror spinoff]], or something, right?

According to [[http://www.newsarama.com/comics/who-has-been-running-the-comics-code-authority-11012-22.html some sources]], the CMAA barely existed in the final year or two. One person would check the few DC books that the company still submitted, while Archie simply assumed their comics would always pass muster because... [[HilariousInHindsight well, why wouldn't they?]] After all, it wasn't like they were ever going to star their iconic ''uber''-wholesome teenage cast in a [[ComicBook/AfterlifeWithArchie zombie horror spinoff]], or something, right?

DC Comics generally stopped using the Code Seal after the turn of the 21st Century. Their rating system is E for Everyone (yes, like the UsefulNotes/EntertainmentSoftwareRatingsBoard), T for Teen (which is the rating for most of their well-known titles like ''ComicBook/{{Superman}}'' and ''ComicBook/WonderWoman''), Teen Plus (suitable for ages 15 and up), and M for Mature. Creator/MarvelComics formally withdrew from the CCA at around the same time, despite Stan Lee having kicked the door in three decades prior and having more or less flouted the Code for decades already. Marvel's current rating system is All Ages, T (for teen, similar to a PG or E10+ rating), T+ (similar to PG-13), Parental Advisory (similar to R), and Max (explicit content).

* The 2018 animated film ''WesternAnimation/SpiderManIntoTheSpiderVerse'' opens on an "Approved by the Comics Code Authority" stamp right after the studio logos. Possibly it's included as a throwback reference to older versions of Spider-Man (given that the main character, Miles Morales, was created post-Code), but likely as [[TakeThat a jab]] referencing Spider-Man's role in the Comics Code Authority's fall from power.
* In Suicide Squad (2019) by Tom Taylor, a character's head exploding was censored by an image of a Comics Code Authority Stamp, this was done by the artist, Bruno Redondo.

DC Comics generally stopped using the Code Seal after the turn of the 21st Century. Their rating system is E for Everyone (yes, like the UsefulNotes/EntertainmentSoftwareRatingsBoard), T for Teen (which is the rating for most of their well-known titles like ''ComicBook/{{Superman}}'' and ''ComicBook/WonderWoman''), Teen Plus (suitable for ages 15 and up), and M for Mature. Creator/MarvelComics formally withdrew from the CCA at around the same time, despite Stan Lee having kicked the door in three decades prior and having more or less flauted the Code for decades already. Marvel's current rating system is All Ages, T (for teen, similar to a PG or E10+ rating), T+ (similar to PG-13), Parental Advisory (similar to R), and Max (explicit content).

One final irony: Fredric Wertham, whose book started the whole moral panic in the first place, later denounced the Code as a whitewash that made comics worse -- because it allowed comics to depict violence [[BloodlessCarnage without realistic consequences]]. (He had wanted a ratings system in the first place).

* Even Archie Comics, a company that followed the Comics Code pretty well (given that it also maintained the Code), lampshaded it in one "Jughead's Diner" issue. Jughead and his friends are interrupted at occasional bits in the story by a representative from the CCA, who claims that what the other characters have done in the comic (e.g., talking about burgers in the presence of a cow, sumo wrestling, hang gliding) could not be shown. The representative then gets brutally injured by stepping into the middle of a sumo wrestling match.

* In Suicide Squad (2019) by Tom Taylor, a character's head exploding was censored by an image of a Comics Code Authority Stamp, this was done by the artist, Bruno Redondo

The first serious challenge to the Code's effectiveness came in [[TheSeventies 1971]], when Creator/StanLee wrote for Marvel Comics "Green Goblin Reborn!", a ''Comicbook/SpiderMan'' story that not only [[DrugsAreBad portrayed drugs in an extremely negative light]], but had been written on the '''explicit recommendation''' of the United States Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. That fact in particular made the CCA look damned foolish when it refused to approve the story because it showed... a character using drugs.[[note]]In contrast, the CCA had approved an earlier ''Deadman'' story where the superhero fought drug smugglers because the story focused on the wholesale handling of narcotics by criminals. The CCA always handled the Code's rules in an inconsistent way.[[/note]] Since Marvel had earned the clout to [[DefyingTheCensors defy the CCA]], it simply removed the Code Seal from the comics containing the storyline, which appeared in ''Amazing Spider-Man'' #96-98. The story received considerable public appreciation and critical acclaim. By contrast, the CCA's explanations were dismissed by the public as a bunch of counterproductive excuses from a bunch of blinkered bluenoses.

The effect of the Code's harsh censorship on the minds of young comic readers remains unknown, but it definitely worked to the detriment of the medium's artistic maturity. The "wholesome" entertainment created in the Code's wake stereotyped graphic storytelling (of any kind, regardless of whether they were CCA approved or not) as silly fluff fit only for children -- a stigma that, at least in the United States, persists to this day. As a side effect, the Code was designed to favour stories with a very conservative, pro-authoritarian message.[[note]]As a further note: this is considered, in retrospect, one of the elements that badly damaged ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'' long-term, because DC's ''Superman'' titles hewed ''very'' close to the code as he was one of DC's breadwinners... which had the effect of making him a flawless ubermensch for much of the '50s and '60s and making him an icon of mid-century conservative America, with all the baggage that would later entail. Later writers -- starting with Mark Waid's ''ComicBook/KingdomCome'' and onward -- would grapple ''heavily'' with this legacy, and it would dog Supes well into the [=21st=] century.[[/note]] The medium's most talented writers and artists of the period, growing frustrated because they could not tell stories the way they wanted, soon resorted to GettingCrapPastTheRadar in increasingly creative ways.

* The 2018 animated film ''WesternAnimation/SpiderManIntoTheSpiderVerse'' opens on an "Approved by the Comics Code Authority" stamp before showing the rest of the production logos. Possibly it's included as a throwback reference to older versions of Spider-Man (given that the main character, Miles Morales, was created post-Code), but likely as [[TakeThat a jab]] referencing Spider-Man's role in the Comics Code Authority's fall from power.

In 1954, the U.S. comic book industry, trying to head off growing backlash and subsequent calls for government regulation, formed the Comics Magazine Association of America. The CMAA was initially led by major publishing houses Franchise/ArchieComics (protected by an image of "wholesome American youth")[[note]]In fact, throughout the entire existence of the CMAA and the Comics Code Authority, it was run by Archie Comics' administration -- a blatant conflict of interest.[[/note]] and Creator/DCComics (which made a lot of money from kid-friendly romance and science fiction titles during this time period). The group subsequently set up the Comics Code Authority, or CCA, as a self-imposed censorship bureau; in hindsight, this move likely led to tighter censorship than was actually necessary to get their rules approved by the government.

DC Comics generally stopped using the Code Seal after the turn of the 21st Century. Their rating system is E for Everyone (yes, like the UsefulNotes/EntertainmentSoftwareRatingsBoard), T for Teen (which is the rating for most of their well-known titles like ''ComicBook/Superman'' and ''ComicBook/WonderWoman''), Teen Plus (suitable for ages 15 and up), and M for Mature. Creator/MarvelComics formally withdrew from the CCA at around the same time, despite Stan Lee having kicked the door in three decades prior and having more or less flauted the Code for decades already. Marvel's current rating system is All Ages, T (for teen, similar to a PG or E10+ rating), T+ (similar to PG-13), Parental Advisory (similar to R), and Max (explicit content).

In January 2011, DC formally abandoned the Code in favor of an in-house rating system. Archie Comics, the Code's sole remaining participant and administrator, decided the Code no longer served a purpose in light of the company's publishing standards -- "We aren't about to start [[StuffedIntoTheFridge stuffing bodies into refrigerators!]]"[[note]]No, they were going to have their iconic wholesome namesake star [[ComicBook/LifeWithArchieTheMarriedLife brutally gunned down]] right out in the open...[[/note]] -- so it abandoned the Code just a day after DC. With that, the Comics Code Authority was gone once and for all... and almost immediately thereafter, Archie debuted ''Afterlife with Archie'', the company's first "direct market" title. ''Afterlife'' featured a full-on ZombieApocalypse, which would never have been allowed under the Code. The first issue of ''Afterlife'' sold out -- twice.

In 1954, the U.S. comic book industry, trying to head off growing backlash and subsequent calls for government regulation, formed the Comics Magazine Association of America. The CMAA was initially led by major publishing houses Franchise/ArchieComics (protected by an image of "wholesome American youth")[[note]]In fact, throughout the entire existence of the CMAA and the Comics Code Authority, it was run by Archie Comic's administration -- a blatant conflict of interest.[[/note]] and Creator/DCComics (which made a lot of money from kid-friendly romance and science fiction titles during this time period). The group subsequently set up the Comics Code Authority, or CCA, as a self-imposed censorship bureau; in hindsight, this move likely led to tighter censorship than was actually necessary to get their rules approved by the government.

DC Comics generally stopped using the Code Seal after the turn of the 21st Century. Creator/MarvelComics formally withdrew from the CCA at around the same time, despite Stan Lee having kicked the door in three decades prior and having more or less flauted the Code for decades already. According to [[http://www.newsarama.com/comics/who-has-been-running-the-comics-code-authority-11012-22.html some sources]], the CMAA barely existed in the final year or two. One person would check the few DC books that the company still submitted, while Archie simply assumed their comics would always pass muster because... [[HilariousInHindsight well, why wouldn't they?]] After all, it wasn't like they were ever going to star their iconic ''uber''-wholesome teenage cast in a [[ComicBook/AfterlifeWithArchie zombie horror spinoff]], or something, right?

[[caption-width-right:204: Approved by humourless 40-year-olds for concerned parents.]]

One final irony: Fredric Wertham, whose book started the whole moral panic in the first place, later denounced the Code as a whitewash that made comics worse -- because it allowed comics to depict violence [[BloodlessCarnage without realistic consequences]]. (He had wanted a ratings system in the first place.)

* "[[NotUsingTheZWord No comic magazine shall use the word "horror" or "terror" in its title.]]

* "[[SexualHarassmentAndRapeTropes Seduction and rape shall never be shown or suggested.]]"

** UsefulNotes/{{Homosexual}}ity is fine [[ButNotTooGay ...up to a point.]]

In [[TheFifties the early 1950s]], a moral panic centred around crime and horror comics swept North America, thanks in significant part to psychologist Frederic Wertham and his book ''Seduction of the Innocent'', a scholarly study which supposedly demonstrated an influential connection between severely troubled children and the comic books they read. (It wasn't until many years later that researchers discovered Wertham had based his conclusions almost exclusively on data that was [[https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20140804/08494028095/learning-history-how-one-lying-liar-almost-screwed-comic-book-industry.shtml distorted or selective at best, and outright fabricated at worst]]).

One final irony: Frederic Wertham, whose book started the whole moral panic in the first place, later denounced the Code as a whitewash that made comics worse -- because it allowed comics to depict violence [[BloodlessCarnage without realistic consequences]]. (He had wanted a ratings system in the first place.)

The first serious challenge to the Code's effectiveness came in [[TheSeventies 1971]], when Creator/StanLee wrote for Marvel Comics "Green Goblin Reborn!", a ''Comicbook/SpiderMan'' story that not only [[DrugsAreBad portrayed drugs in an extremely negative light]], but had been written on the '''explicit recommendation''' of the United States Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. That fact in particular made the CCA look damned foolish when it refused to approve the story because it showed... a character using drugs.[[note]]In contrast, the CCA had approved an earlier ''Deadman'' story where the superhero fought drug smugglers because the story focused on the wholesale handling of narcotics by criminals. The CCA always handled the Code's rules in an inconsistent way.[[/note]] Since Marvel had earned the clout to [[DefyingTheCensors defy the CCA]], it simply removed the Code Seal from the comics containing the storyline, which appeared in ''Amazing Spider-Man'' #96-98. The story received considerable public appreciation and critical acclaim.

Perhaps the one positive benefit resulting from the Code was completely inadvertent. Namely, when Creator/MarvWolfman wrote a horror story for DC's ''The House of Secrets'', the issue's framing story had the horror host, Able, comment that he heard it from a "wandering Wolfman" as a StealthPun. The Comics Code flagged it because a werewolf was mentioned, which was specifically verboten. In response, the editor was able to tell the censors that the writer's surname was in fact Wolfman, after which the Code relented on the condition that it be clearly marked in the story as a credit that the writer with the name wrote it. After that compromise, the other writers at DC complained about Wolfman being given such special consideration and the editorship decided to give official credits for all its writers to placate them.

Two publishers, Creator/DellComics and Gilberton (publisher of ''Classics Illustrated''), never bothered to submit to the CCA -- there was no actual ''legal'' obligation to.[[note]]What gave the CCA any teeth at all was pressure that newsstands would not carry books not Code compliant.[[/note]] Dell believed their company brand and reputation would reassure parents, as per their slogan, "Dell Comics are ''Good'' Comics." Neither publisher's lack of a CCA stamp harmed their profits for most of the Code's heyday. In an ironic twist, this situation allowed Dell (and Creator/GoldKeyComics, which "spun off" from Dell in 1962) to occasionally publish comics the Code would not allow, such as an adaptation of ''Series/DarkShadows'' featuring vampire Barnabas Collins.[[note]]But even then, restraint was shown -- for example, the artwork implied vampire bites without ever showing them.[[/note]]

One final irony: Frederic Wertham, whose book started the whole moral panic in the first place, later denounced the Code as a whitewash that made comics worse -- because it allowed comics to depict violence [[BloodlessCarnage without realistic consequences]].